<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>You Know the Rules, and So Do I by Mugglelover27</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24163228">You Know the Rules, and So Do I</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mugglelover27/pseuds/Mugglelover27'>Mugglelover27</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>80's Music, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Swolo, Ben likes it when Rey is forceful, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Late Night Chats, Meet-Cute, No longer a one-shot, This is really all fluff, all retail horror stories brought to you by author's personal experiences, author has no self control, enter the chaotic drunks, nothing but fluff, oh my god they were neighbors, they're so domestic it's disgusting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:02:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,869</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24163228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mugglelover27/pseuds/Mugglelover27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben Solo is having a bad night. Then, he gets rickrolled by his downstairs neighbor and, somehow, his night becomes infinitely better.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>164</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. You Know the Rules, and So Do I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Are we at the point yet where rickrolling is so old that it's funny in an ironic way?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nothing could possibly make this night any worse.</p>
<p>It's the hottest day of the year. The sun went down hours ago, but the air is still thick with heat and humidity. And Ben Solo is currently tinkering away at his broken air conditioner and failing miserably.</p>
<p>He's never even had a window-unit air conditioner before. He's barely been using it long enough to fully understand how it works, let alone fix it on his own, but when something breaks at nine o'clock at night leaving you susceptible to heatstroke, you try your best to fix it. So that's what he's doing, to very little avail, becoming angrier by the minute.</p>
<p>And then his downstairs neighbor decides to throw their window wide open and blast music while singing along. Loudly. Currently it's <em>Take On Me</em>, and maybe on a different night Ben would find their struggle to hit the high notes amusing, but tonight he's not in the mood.</p>
<p>It's rude to be that loud when you live in an apartment building. They have neighbors. Don't they realize that?</p>
<p>He knows it's immature, but he heavily stomps his feet a few times to try and give them the message to quiet down.</p>
<p>The music only gets louder as it moves to the next song.<em> I Wanna Dance With Somebody </em>by Whitney Houston. Shit, that is a song he never wanted to hear other people try to sing. He doesn't know the woman who lives below him (he can tell it's a woman by the high-pitched singing), but he's already starting to hate her.</p>
<p>"Quiet down!" he shouts out the window, and a moment later the music mercifully stops. He breathes a sigh of relief only for it to be swept away when the unmistakable first notes of <em>Never Gonna Give You Up</em> ring out. "Asshole!" he growls. He did not just get fucking rickrolled.</p>
<p>"Back at you!" comes a clear, furious reply.</p>
<p>He swiftly closes his window to try and drown out some of the sound hoping the heat doesn't suffocate him with the lack of airflow. The kick he gives to his toolbox is a bit over-dramatic (and hurts like hell) and he knows that, but it's loud and he really hopes they hear it because at the moment he's feeling extremely petty. Hot and tired and frustrated and petty.</p>
<p>Then the music shuts off and he's finally left with blissful silence, but he's smart enough to know it won't last long. However, he'll enjoy it while he can. He goes to the fridge to grab a beer, because hydration be damned... until later at least. But the second he sits down on his couch there's a knock at the door.</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>Rey is overreacting. She knows that. But whatever asshole lives above her is clearly doing the same, so she decides it's ok to be petty for once.</p>
<p>Still, after she hears the thump of their window shutting and a loud crash, followed by a few choice expletives, she starts to feel kind of bad. Maybe they're just having a rough day too. They're new to the building and she hasn't met them yet. She's a little bitter that her time with no upstairs neighbor is over and she will remember those months of no pounding footsteps with fondness. She knows meeting someone for the first time to apologize to them isn't ideal, but it's better than hating each other and making their lives miserable until one of them moves out.</p>
<p>That's why she's now on her way upstairs to the door of the man she knows she just pissed off. She doesn't know what he looks like yet, but she has her predictions, all of which are proven wrong when he opens the door.</p>
<p>There's the hint of a scowl on his face which disappears as he gives her a quick once over. "Can I help you?" His voice isn't unkind, which jars Rey almost as much as the sight of him.</p>
<p>He's handsome and tall, practically towering over her and making her feel short. Rey isn't used to feeling very short, being somewhat above average height herself, and she wonders if this is what her friend Rose feels like on a daily basis. Most of all, he's standing unabashedly shirtless in front of her, his broad, muscular frame taking up much of the doorway. It takes a second too long for Rey to move her gaze back up to his face and she feels embarrassed for staring at his chest like a lewd teenage boy who can't keep their eyes above breast level.</p>
<p>"Sorry." She snaps herself out of her trance. "I was just coming to say... well, to- I wanted to say sorry." Now she's babbling. Lovely.</p>
<p>"For what?" He straightens his stance and Rey has to coach herself internally to keep her gaze upward, which isn't all that difficult since he really is pleasant to look at.</p>
<p>"I was the one who- uh- who just rickrolled you..." She starts to feel a bit sheepish as she says it, her gaze bypassing his chest completely and instead focusing on the floor.</p>
<p>"Oh." He sounds surprised, but not mad.</p>
<p>"It was petty of me and I feel really bad about it. I just had a shit day and was trying to blow off some steam. I'm not trying to make excuses, but I was-"</p>
<p>"It's alright."</p>
<p>She whips her head up to look at him again, confused by his simple reply. "What?"</p>
<p>"It's alright," he repeats calmly. "I was rude too, and I'm sorry for that."</p>
<p>"Oh. Umm." This is going a lot better than she expected. "Well, thanks." She rocks back on her heels not sure what to do now, but he seems to be ahead of her.</p>
<p>"I'm Ben, by the way." He holds out his hand.</p>
<p>"Oh, balls. Right. I'm Rey." She moves closer to shake his hand and feels a wave of heat emanating from the apartment. "Fuck, why is it so hot in there?"</p>
<p>"Air conditioner," he says simply. "It broke a couple hours ago."</p>
<p>That explains the shouting. "I'm not surprised. These window units are absolute shit. Want me to take a look at it?" The words slip out of her mouth before she can think about it. She's used to offering to fix little things for the older residents in the building and it's practically a reflex.</p>
<p>"You think you can fix it?" He looks at her skeptically and now she's feeling determined to prove to this tree of a man how capable she is.</p>
<p>"I know I can fix it."</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>One minute he's fuming about being rickrolled. The next he's staring at the gorgeous woman responsible for said rickrolling who is clad in nothing but shorts and a tight tank top. And then, to top it all off, he's inviting her into his apartment to fix his air conditioner. Ben Solo has no fucking clue what is going on. Is he dreaming? Is he on something? Are these the first signs of heatstroke?</p>
<p>He leads Rey over to the air conditioner and she takes a quick look before turning back to him. "I'll just go grab my tools and be right back," she says cheerfully.</p>
<p>"I have tools right over there," he says, pointing to where the box ended up when he kicked it.</p>
<p>She glances in it and smirks. "I'll get my tools."</p>
<p>The moment she's out the door Ben jumps into full gear, shoving dirty dishes in the sink, throwing beer bottles in the trash, and putting his unopened bottle back in the fridge.</p>
<p>There's a woman in his apartment. A very beautiful woman. And he isn't even fully unpacked yet! There are still boxes everywhere and he's been living like a typical bachelor for the past couple weeks, too busy searching for jobs to really care about much else. But he's not usually like this. No, Ben Solo is usually very put together and clean and he really doesn't want her to get the wrong impression of him, but she's already seen the apartment and him, with half his hair sticking to his neck with sweat. This is a disaster.</p>
<p>He's in the bedroom pulling on a clean t-shirt when she returns, lugging a massive toolbox with her. She drops it beside the air conditioner with a proud look before crouching down beside it.</p>
<p>"Let's see what the issue is." Then she sets to work like it's nothing. Like she knows the equipment like the back of her hand, and it has Ben mesmerized.</p>
<p>"You -uh, fix a lot of air conditioners?"</p>
<p>"I wouldn't say a lot, but a few. Mostly I deal with leaky pipes or running toilets. You know, the usual." She doesn't take her eyes off her work for a second, but seems to have no problem focusing on conversation as well.</p>
<p>"Are you a repairm-woman?" He manages to correct himself just a little too late.</p>
<p>She lets out a small laugh at his blunder but, thankfully, doesn't seem offended. "No, I'm not a 'repairm-woman.' I just know how to fix things."</p>
<p>Ben freezes up. Did she just laugh at him or was she teasing him? He's really not sure. What do you reply in either situation?</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>Ben hasn't said anything for a moment, but Rey really wants to keep talking so she takes matters into her own hands.</p>
<p>"You're new to the building, right?"</p>
<p>"That obvious?" he replies sarcastically, looking around at all the boxes.</p>
<p>"Well, I live below you, so yeah. Move-in day sounded like a bitch." She moves to the other side of the appliance. "Are you new in town?"</p>
<p>"Not really. Just new to this part of town." She watches as he runs a hand through his hair, looking mildly embarrassed.</p>
<p>The first thing she noticed when she walked into the apartment was all the expensive furniture. A massive couch, shiny new TV and plenty of gadgets to go with it, a coffee table that looks decidedly not like the kind you put together yourself, and the kind of bookshelves you see in home decor magazines. All of it looks too big for the apartment, like it was moved from a much larger area and squeezed into it's new home.</p>
<p>"So, you're from the rich part of town." She does her best not to sound condescending, and she must have succeeded because she's rewarded with a shallow chuckle.</p>
<p>"You could say that."</p>
<p>Rey finishes inspecting the air conditioner and scrunches up her face in annoyance before glancing over at him. "I really don't want to make your night worse but..."</p>
<p>"Shit. It's broken?"</p>
<p>"Not completely, but the fan is. Can't do anything for it tonight."</p>
<p>"You said you could fix it," he reminds her, face smug.</p>
<p>"And I could if I had the correct parts," she smirks, wiping some sweat off her brow. "Is there anyone you can stay with? A girlfriend or something?" It's a necessity to ask the question, but she can't deny she's curious to know the answer.</p>
<p>He shakes his head. "Nope."</p>
<p>Then she says something she knows her friends would reprimand her for, can practically hear their voices in her head telling her that this is how you get yourself murdered. But safety be damned (she'll probably text Rose to let her know, just in case, though). "Come and stay at my place tonight."</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>"What?" Ben blinks a couple times. There's no way in hell he heard her correctly.</p>
<p>"Come stay at my place," she repeats. "I'm not letting you die of heat exposure."</p>
<p>"I-uh-I don-" he stutters.</p>
<p>"Please don't let your death be on my conscience." Her tone is mildly sarcastic, but her expression is serious. "Get your stuff. Come on. It's time to be neighborly."</p>
<p>He's not sure if he's intimidated or turned on by her forcefulness. Maybe a mixture of both. But that doesn't matter because this woman is offering him a place to stay instead of letting him suffer in his boiling apartment, and he's not going to be an ass about it.</p>
<p>Her apartment has the same layout, but somehow feels infinitely more spacious than his own, and he can tell it's not just because she doesn't have half of her belongings stacked in boxes. She has plants in macrame hanging planters and personal pictures scattered around. Her coffee table is scattered with mail and books. The kitchen counters are piled high with snack foods. Overall, the apartment is messy, but in a lived-in sort of way. It's cozy.</p>
<p>"Make yourself comfortable," she says over her shoulder, walking into the kitchen. "Want a beer?" He doesn't get a chance to answer before she's pulled two out of the fridge and is popping the caps off. She circles back around the couch, handing him a bottle and sitting down as he says a quick thanks. "Sit down, Ben. The less awkward you make this the better." She looks amused and he feels an embarrassed blush rising on his face.</p>
<p>"Right. Sorry." As he sits down he takes a quick look around, acclimating himself and calming down. Catching sight of the TV he notices a Spotify playlist paused in the middle of the very song that brought her to his door. "I really am sorry for being such an ass about that," he says, gesturing to the TV.</p>
<p>"It's fine. You were dealing with an appliance crisis. I get it. It's been a shitty day for both of us."</p>
<p>"What was bad about yours, if you don't mind me asking?"</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>Rey pauses to consider her evening for a moment.</p>
<p>She came storming home, ready to blow-off some steam by drowning her frustrations in alcohol and loud 80's music, but didn't even make it to the alcohol portion before her upstairs neighbor got on her nerves. Now, she had said upstairs neighbor sitting on her couch, partaking in the alcohol portion with her, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to stop herself from spilling her life's details to him.</p>
<p>And what on earth had possessed her to invite him over in the first place? Was it truly just concern for his well-being, or was it her hormones? Something was clearly making her insane tonight, because sane people don't invite massive, muscular, strange men to their apartment for the night. But that's what Rey had done and she was going to make the most of it.</p>
<p>She hit the play button on the TV, switching to the next song. "I work in retail," she said simply in answer to his question.</p>
<p>"Oh, shit."</p>
<p>"Ah, so I don't have to explain."</p>
<p>"Oh no, please do." He re situated himself on the couch, finally letting himself get comfortable. "I've never worked retail, but I hear it's hell on earth."</p>
<p>"You lucky bastard."</p>
<p>Before she knows it they're halfway through their second drink and she's telling him retail horror stories.</p>
<p>"You wouldn't believe how many dick pics get sent to the photo center," she grumbles. "And half of them look diseased."</p>
<p>He slowly sets his beer on the coffee table. "Just gonna stop drinking for a minute."</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm sorry," she drawls sarcastically. "Do diseased dicks make you squeamish?"</p>
<p>"Just a bit," he laughs.</p>
<p>"Weak," she chides, playfully punching him on the shoulder. She's not sure if it's the effects of the alcohol or something else, but they've fallen into comfortable banter and she's enjoying it. It's been a while since she's had a chance to really relax and talk to someone since her friends' schedules never quite match up with hers. When she sees them it's only for a couple hours, and they bring other friends along. But now, with Ben, she finally feels like she's having a proper hang out.</p>
<p>They continue talking until it's 3 a.m. and her 80's playlist has become her late-night chill playlist, and they stopped drinking a while ago, but just keep talking.</p>
<p>They've hit that part of the night when, even without the assistance of alcohol, Rey finds herself willing to be completely honest. She'll answer any question without hesitation. It's a freeing time of night, but also a dangerous one because she might regret what she lets slip come morning.</p>
<p>Ben isn't asking hard-hitting questions, though. She can tell he wants to get to know her better, which she's happy for, but he isn't rushing it. So far they've stuck to very general topics. However, now Rey is the one wanting to know more, so she decides to take the plunge.</p>
<p>"Why no girlfriend?"</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>Ben is probably more stunned by the question than he should be. Not because he doesn't want to answer, but because of the possible implication of her asking the question in the first place.</p>
<p>After a moment of consideration, however, he concludes that she's just curious. There's no way in hell a woman as gorgeous as her is interested in him.</p>
<p>"Being a lawyer doesn't leave much time for a personal life." He pauses before deciding to turn the question back on her. Might as well ask while he has an opening. "What about you?"</p>
<p>"Might I remind you I work in retail. It's a really terrible place to meet guys." She lets out a sigh. "I guess it's kind of my own fault too, though. My friend is always trying to set me up with guys from her graduate classes, but I always put it off."</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"I go to parties with them sometimes and I just... I never feel like I fit in," she admits. "They always have things to talk about like classes and internships and big, future-defining stuff. I just work at a supermarket and dream of one day having the money for university."</p>
<p>He lets that hang in the air for a moment before pressing on. "What would you study?"</p>
<p>She gives a humorless laugh. "No fucking clue. I just know I can't work retail my whole life or I'll go insane." They fall silent and then she nudges his leg with her foot. "Why law?" He grimaces at the question. "What? Bad question?"</p>
<p>"Bad answer."</p>
<p>"Come on." She nudges him again in a more playful manner, a smile playing at her lips. "I can take it."</p>
<p>He takes a breath. "I wanted money and influence. The usual. I was young and naive and didn't listen to the people I should have trusted." He sighs. "It was the biggest mistake of my life." Then he feels her hand on top of his and she's looking at him with a softness in her eyes he isn't used to seeing from anyone. He glances down and is mesmerized by how her hand can look so small against his, but feel so incredibly warm and comforting.</p>
<p>"That's not such a bad answer," she says gently. "Mistakes are normal. Give yourself a break."</p>
<p>They sit like that for a moment, Ben letting the feeling of her hand over his sink in. Then she gives it a little squeeze and jumps up from the couch. "Time for potato chips," she announces.</p>
<p>"Do you ever stop eating?" He glances at the coffee table which is already littered with snack food wrappers.</p>
<p>"Nope!"</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>Rey wakes up wondering what the fuck is wrong with her mattress before realizing she's not in her bed at all. Instead she's sprawled across Ben's chest on the couch where they must have fallen asleep. Ben, the man she only met last night, and whose arm is currently wrapped around her, and it feels so nice she almost cuddles into him and goes back to sleep. But that would be a bad idea, right? She doesn't exactly have permission to sleep on top of him, though she really wishes she did.</p>
<p>Instead she lightly pokes at his chest, softly saying his name. A few moments later his eyes flutter open, a disoriented expression settling on his face. "What-"</p>
<p>"We fell asleep." She starts to move off of him, but quickly discovers he's not quite awake enough yet when his arm continues to grasp around her middle, and she almost just gives into it again.</p>
<p>Finally, he comes to and swiftly releases her, a blush rising on his face. "Shit. Sorry," he mumbles.</p>
<p>"It's ok." She stands slowly, stretching every limb to try and expel the many cramps she'll need to work out later. But it was worth the cramps.</p>
<p>"Thanks for letting me stay here," he says simply and Rey can tell by his voice that they're going to ignore the position they woke up in, and that hurts a little bit, but she'll get over it. She always does.</p>
<p>"No problem. I'm glad I could help."</p>
<p>"I'll head out now. Go call about getting the air conditioner fixed." He's already turning towards the door and Rey's heart sinks more. "Thanks again."</p>
<p>"It was nice meeting you, Ben."</p>
<p>He smiles just a little as he slips out the door. "You too, Rey."</p>
<p>Then he's gone and maybe that's the end of it. But Rey knows one thing for sure; she's always going to blast her music for him to hear.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Disclaimer: I worked in a Wal-Mart photo center for a little over 2 years and only saw a couple dick pics, but it was a very small town.<br/>I wrote a version of this story years ago, back when I was on tumblr 8+ hours a day and there was a very low quality audio clip of Never Gonna Give You Up circulating that sounded like you were getting rickrolled by a distant house party. I found the story again recently and realized it leant itself to Reylo, so I tweaked it and here it is.<br/>Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!<br/>I'll get back to my regularly scheduled programming soon, I promise.<br/>Everyone stay safe and healthy out there!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. How Did You Know I Needed You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oops. It's not a one-shot anymore. Apparently, I have no self control.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey loves laundry day. Even in the dead of summer she manages to enjoy the time she spends in the sweltering communal laundry room of her apartment building.</p><p>Today she’s brought in her portable fan and has it plugged up to a free outlet while she folds her first load of laundry on top of the dryer now spinning with her second. She mostly enjoys how she always has the place to herself. Most of the residents don’t wait around for their laundry to finish, but Rey enjoys having the room to herself while she sets about her mundane task, music blasting from her phone as she sings along.</p><p>Currently, she’s listening to <em>You Sexy Thing</em> by Hot Chocolate, and even in the summer heat she can’t help but dance along a little.</p><p>“<em>Yesterday, I was one of the lonely people</em>,” the lyrics ring out, Rey passionately singing along as she grabs a stack of folded panties to set them in the laundry basket behind her. "<em>Now you're lying close to me making love to</em>-" Upon turning she spies a tall figure standing in the doorway and she stumbles, bracing an arm against the dryer as the garments fall from her hands. "Fuck, Ben. You scared me!"         </p><p>Ben holds up one hand in surrender, the other keeping his laundry basket firmly against his hip. "Sorry. Just came to do some laundry."</p><p>"Oh, do you know how?" She gives him a teasing smirk. "I thought you would just send it out."</p><p>He gives a soft chuckle. "Only the dry cleaning." He takes a step towards her. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Do you need help wi-“</p><p>“No no!” She waves him off as she bends down to hide the clothes she sent flying when he walked in. “I’ve got it.” Luckily they all landed in her basket of clean clothes, but now she’s quickly shoving them under the rest of the contents of the basket, resolving to refold them later.</p><p>She’s happy to see Ben, and is perfectly fine with the fact that he walked in on her singing and dancing along to <em>You Sexy Thing</em>. She just wishes she hadn’t been holding a stack of her least attractive panties when he showed up. If she had been holding any of her lace pairs she would be perfectly fine with the situation, but no. She hasn't had a reason to wear any of her nice underwear in quite a while, so she's stuck shielding her basket from his gaze until she finishes her task, standing again and trying to regain her composure.</p><p>~~</p><p>It's been two weeks since the night he met her, and he still hasn't been able to get her out of his head. It doesn't help that he hears her singing along to her music on an almost daily basis, and it draws him in like a siren song. </p><p>They haven't talked since that night, though he's seen her a couple times in the hallway. Just the other day she was at his neighbor's apartment, clearly fixing something since the old lady sent her off with a plate of cookies and too many "thank you's" to count. She had given him a friendly smile and a wave as he unlocked the door to his place. Unfortunately, he had let his courage fail him and only gave her an awkward wave in return. </p><p>He still has no idea how they ended up in the position they did on her couch that morning and he feels guilty about it. It's not that he didn't enjoy having her laid across him. On the contrary, he might have enjoyed it a little too much, which is why he rushed out of her apartment that morning, scared of making her uncomfortable. He hasn't exactly been avoiding her since then, but he's been nervous about talking to her.</p><p>Now she’s standing across from him, looking flustered and a little expectant and he completely forgets how to properly talk to people.</p><p>“So…” he starts uncertainly. “Laundry.” <em>Nicely observed, you idiot</em>, he mentally berates himself.</p><p>“Yeah…” she suddenly grabs for her phone. “Sorry, I’ll turn this off.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine. Keep it on. I don’t mind.”</p><p>“Really?” He nods in reply and she sets her phone back down. Though the volume has been decreased, he can still make out the tune of <em>Hungry Like the Wolf</em> by Duran Duran trickling out into the laundry room. She really has interesting taste in music.</p><p>She watches him dump the contents of his laundry basket into the machine beside hers. “That’s an awful lot of black.”</p><p>“Hey,” he replies, adding a hint of mock-offense to his tone. “There’s some grey too.” She gives a small laugh and he watches as she hoists herself on top of the dryer in front of her. “Do you usually stay here while you have laundry going?”</p><p>"Yeah. At my old building people would toss your laundry out the second it was done, so I take no chances."</p><p>"So, I shouldn't throw other people's laundry on the floor?" he asks with a cheeky smirk.</p><p>She gives him an unamused look and leans in to smack him on the shoulder. "So, are you planning to join me in waiting?"</p><p>"If you'll allow it."</p><p>"Of course, but you’ll have to deal with my music." He nods his assent as he finishes setting the washer.</p><p>~~</p><p>They sit in silence for a moment, the music from Rey’s phone and her portable fan the only sounds besides the whirring of the laundry.</p><p>Finally she decides if small-talk is all they’ll have today, that’s good enough for her. “You seem to be doing better than the last time I saw you.”</p><p>"Well, my air conditioner is working now." He leans against the machine beside her. "You seem better also."</p><p>"No new complaints." Except that he hasn't talked to her since the night they met. </p><p>She's still sitting on the dryer, paring up some socks when he turns to her, looking nervous. "Rey?"</p><p>"Hmm?"</p><p>Before he can reply they’re joined by another resident of the building. A short, older woman, dressed in an eccentric fashion who gives Rey a beaming smile.</p><p>“Hello, dear,” the woman says.</p><p>“Hi, Mrs. Kanata,” Rey greets cheerily.</p><p>“How long do you have left on your laundry?” The older woman works on setting her own washer.</p><p>“Just over an hour, I think. Need me to keep an eye on yours?”</p><p>Mrs. Kanata chuckles. “You’re just the loveliest, Rey. I just have to take my dog for a walk.”</p><p>“It’s no problem. Have a nice walk!”</p><p>As Mrs. Kanata exits the laundry room Rey turns her attention back to Ben who’s looking at her with an inquisitive look on his face. “What?”</p><p>“You practically have a fan club in this building.”</p><p>“Oh, shush. I just like helping everyone out. It feels good to do things for other people, don’t you think?” He responds with a noncommittal grunt. “Anyway, what were you going to say before?”</p><p>“Oh… uh- I forgot.”</p><p>“Maybe you’ll remember soon.” She gives him a smile and they fall into easy conversation. She tells him more retail horror-stories, while he laments the progress of his job hunt.</p><p>~~</p><p>He had been so close to getting up the nerve to ask her to dinner, and then that woman walked in and everything flew out the window. His courage only lasts so long. Especially after he sees how kind she truly is, always helping out the other residents in any way she can.</p><p>He should have known that she’s so kind and selfless. After all, she let him, a complete stranger, stay in her apartment. And for nothing in return. There’s no way in hell she will ever be interested in him when she learns about the work he used to do, or the selfish, underhanded people he did all of that work for.</p><p>He wishes he were a better person.</p><p>As he pulls his laundry out of the dryer he decides that he would still like to have her over for dinner. Even if just as a thanks for her help. He can’t deny he enjoys her company, and it would be nice to know someone in the area.</p><p>“Hey, Rey?”</p><p>“Yeah?” She looks at him expectantly, the shirt she was folding frozen in her grasp.</p><p>~~</p><p>"I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner?" Her heart leaps into her throat. "I want to thank you for your help the other night." Her heart sinks back into place, and possibly lower. She had hoped, for a split second, that he was asking her out, but it turns out he just feels indebted to her.</p><p>She goes back to folding. "You don't have to do that." She doesn't want to be paid back. She just wants to stop thinking about him and how much she likes him and how she wishes he hadn't run off that morning so she could have done something about the massive erection he thought he could hide. Of course, he wouldn't have wanted her to do anything about it anyway. He probably ran off because he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. He's not attracted to her in that way. How could he be when he's gorgeous and she's, well... she's just Rey.</p><p>"You would be doing me a favor. I always cook too much." He has a hopeful look in his eyes and Rey really can't say no. She has no self-control. </p><p>"Alright. When were you thinking?" </p><p>"I thought tonight would be good, if you're not busy."</p><p>"Not at all. Once I'm done with all this-" she gestures to her laundry basket "-it's just me and Netflix for the rest of the night." That’s a lie, but he doesn’t need to know that she’s willing to blow off her friends for a <em>not</em> date with him.</p><p>“Seven o’clock at my place?” She nods and he grabs his laundry, heading out the door and past Mrs. Kanata, who’s just returning. “Great. I’ll see you then.”</p><p>Mrs. Kanata gives her a knowing smirk after Ben disappears down the hallway. “Have a date, dear?”</p><p>“No, nothing like that,” Rey replies, folding the last of her laundry. “Just hanging out with a friend.” Despite the fact she knows her statement is true, her heart still pounds furiously.</p><p>“Well, I hope you have a nice time.”</p><p>“Thanks, Mrs. Kanata. I’ll see you later!”</p><p>
  <em>It’s not a date. It’s not a date.</em>
</p><p>The words play like a mantra in her head as she redoes her hair and stands in front of her closet trying to decide which sundress looks casual without being <em>too</em> casual.</p><p>
  <em>It’s not a date. It’s not a date.</em>
</p><p>But that doesn’t mean she can’t flirt, right? That thought helps her narrow her choices down to two dresses in particular and decide that there’s no harm in wearing her nicest pair of panties.  </p><p>It’s then she realizes she still needs to let her friends know she can’t make it to the party they invited her to tonight. She wasn’t exactly planning on going to begin with. It’s just another party where she’ll feel like an outsider while someone she has no interest in tries flirting with her. She loves her friends, but going to those parties exhausts her more than anything.</p><p>She types a half-hearted excuse to Rose about not feeling well and turns back to her closet.</p><p>Now about that sundress…</p><p>~~</p><p>When he opens the door he realizes he hasn’t ever seen her wear anything but shorts and tank tops. She already looked gorgeous wearing just those, but seeing her in a dress is completely different, and he has to quickly train his face into a more neutral expression.</p><p>“Glad you could make it.”</p><p>She gives him a radiant smile. “Thanks for inviting me!” Then she’s handing him a plate with some tinfoil wrapped around it. “I brought some brownies for dessert. I hope that’s alright.”</p><p>“Of course.” He waves her into the apartment. “I’m just finishing up cooking.” He gestures to the dining table. “You can go take a seat. I’ll be just a minute. Feel free to put some music on.”</p><p>Once in the kitchen he takes a moment to try and calm down.</p><p>
  <em>It’s not a date. It’s not a date.</em>
</p><p>But, fuck, she looks so nice, and he really wishes it was a date.</p><p>Her eyes widen as he sets the food down in front of her and offers her a glass of wine, the sounds of Phil Collins already drifting from the speakers he had set out.</p><p>“This is way too nice.” Despite her protests she’s already eagerly cutting into her steak. “I owe you. Call me next time you have an appliance break.”</p><p>“I’ll keep that in mind.” They eat in silence for a few minutes before he decides to ask a question that’s been nagging him. “Why do you like 70’s and 80’s music so much?”</p><p>“I didn’t have access to much else by the time I started caring about music,” she explains. “All I had was my old portable CD player and the meager catalogue of music at the local library. Most of what they had was older stuff.” She shrugs, taking another bite. “Since then, I haven’t really given the time to finding new music. I’m too busy.”</p><p>He wants to ask more, but he doesn’t want to seem nosey, so he lets the subject hang there in the silence, giving her an understanding nod in reply.</p><p>After a few minutes he feels something nudge his leg and realizes it’s Rey’s foot. He looks up from his plate to see her smiling at him. “I’m really glad you asked me over.”</p><p>He reaches for his wine, suddenly feeling like he needs a bit of liquid courage. “You-you are?”</p><p>She smiles a little wider and he feels her foot settle just beside his under the table, and even that simple contact makes him feel like he can’t breathe anymore. “I had a really good time before. You’re easy to talk to.”</p><p>She leans a little more towards him across the table, and his chest tightens. Is his brain even getting oxygen anymore? It certainly doesn’t feel like it.</p><p>He’s considering moving his hand closer to hers on the table, wondering if she’ll pull away or if he’ll be able to caress her skin, when suddenly there’s an insistent pounding on his front door.</p><p>~~</p><p>“Rey!” She’s absolutely mortified that her friends are, inexplicably, pounding on the door of her upstairs neighbor’s apartment, sounding a good few drinks beyond tipsy. “Rey, let us in!”</p><p>She looks at Ben, eyes wide. “I am so sorry. I have no idea what they’re doing here.” For his part, Ben looks thoroughly confused, not even giving her a reply. She stands, making her way to the door. “I’ll just tell them to head home. Give me a minute.”</p><p>The second she opens the door Poe bursts in, Finn stumbling along beside him. “Rey! We are <em>here</em>. We are <em>queer</em>. We are ready for <em>beer</em>.”</p><p>“Speak for yourself,” Rose mumbles, following them in, only looking mildly more sober than the boys.</p><p>“Rey. Rey.” Finn grabs her face between both his hands. “Are you ok?”</p><p>“I’m fine, Finn, but you all need to leave.” She extracts herself from his grasp and takes a step back.</p><p>“But we were worried about you! You said you were sick!”</p><p>She crosses her arms, preparing her disappointed mother voice. “How did you know I was here?”</p><p>Poe puts a hand on her shoulder. “Relax. Your neighbor told us you were hanging out up here.” <em>Dammit, Mrs. Kanata. </em></p><p>“Oh my god!” Rose is suddenly pointing at Ben who is standing beside the dining table looking a bit frightened. “You’re him! You’re grumpy boner guy!”</p><p>Rey doesn’t think her face has ever been quite so red, and it seems poor Ben is in the same boat, his entire face having turned a shade she didn’t think possible, and Rey knows she needs to get her friends out of the apartment as soon as she can. Before they cause any more damage.</p><p>She grabs Rose’s arm, dragging her towards the door. “Come on, you need to leave.”</p><p>Rose cranes her neck around Rey as she’s dragged away. “Is this a date?”</p><p>“No. Now, come on.”</p><p>“Reeeeyyyyy,” Poe whines. “You know the only good reason to-to not party is dates. I accept nothing else.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Rose rips herself from Rey’s grip, returning to the boys so they can stand in a line and judge her in unison.</p><p>Rey heaves a sigh and looks at Ben with an apologetic expression. “I am so sorry. This is completely unacceptable.”</p><p>He moves to stand beside her, lowering his voice so only she can hear him while the other three begin to wander the apartment. “They seem pretty far gone. Are you sure you can send them home?”</p><p>“Honestly, no. I think I might have to just bring them back to my place for the night.”</p><p>“Nice place,” Finn shouts, inspecting the television with deep interest. “Someone has money.”</p><p>“I want money,” Rose pouts.</p><p>“Hey, listen.” Poe grabs Rose by the shoulders. “When Rey marries this guy then <em>she’ll </em>have money.”</p><p>Rey buries her head in her hands, sure that this is the end of her friendship with Ben, but then his hand is on her shoulder. She looks up and he’s smirking slightly. “Come on,” he says. “Let’s get them to your place.”</p><p>~~</p><p>She told her friends about him. That <em>has</em> to mean something, right? However, they seem to know about his embarrassing morning, but he can’t really find the energy to be bothered.</p><p>Currently, he has two very drunk men hanging off him as he tries to get them safely to Rey’s apartment.</p><p>“You know, you’re pretty nice to look at,” says the one who introduced himself as Poe. “If things don’t work out with Rey-“</p><p>“Poe!” Finn shouts from beside him, offended.</p><p>“What? I didn’t say you wouldn’t be included!”</p><p>“Don’t make me come back there,” Rey threatens, Rose hanging sleepily on her shoulder, while she unlocks her apartment. As the door swings open she hauls her half-asleep friend inside, Ben on her heels with the other two. “Rose, honey, I need you to wake up long enough to drink some water. Then you can sleep in my bed.”</p><p>“Mmhmm,” is the girls mumbled reply.</p><p>Finn huffs, throwing himself at the couch. “Why does Rose get your bed?”</p><p>“Because I trust her not to defile it.” She heads to the kitchen, filling three large cups with water, Ben following to help out. “Can you grab the aspirin out of there?” He opens the corner cabinet she’s gesturing to and roots around until he finds a large bottle of generic aspirin. “Thanks.” They bring everything out to the waiting party-goers who are quickly fading.</p><p>Rey ushers Rose into the bedroom while Ben sets water in front of the two men on the couch. “Drink up,” he commands. “You all are supposed to be adults.”</p><p>“Yes, dad,” Finn sneers sarcastically.</p><p>“No, not dad,” Poe adds. “More like da-“</p><p>“Time for bed boys!” Rey interrupts quickly, bursting out of the bedroom.</p><p>“Don’t ruin the fun, mom!” He pauses, considering. “Huh. I don’t think I can make anything sexy out of that.”</p><p>Finn puts down his glass of water and cuddles into Poe’s side. “That’s cause you’re gay, babe.”</p><p>“Good point.” They both settle into the couch, already dozing off.</p><p>~~</p><p>Rey breathes a sigh of relief as her friends start snoring gently on her couch “Finally.” She turns to Ben. “Thank you so much for your help.”</p><p>“It was no problem.” He takes a step towards the door. “I’ll just head out now.”</p><p>“Actually,” she says sheepishly. “I think I left my phone at your place.” In truth, she didn’t expect to be dragging drunk friends to her place and didn’t think to grab it, but she wouldn’t be opposed to spending a little longer out with Ben.</p><p>When they make it back to his apartment she’s met with the sight of the unfinished bottle of wine still sitting on the table. “It’s a shame to let that go to waste.” She knows he’s bound to have a cork for it, but she really doesn’t want his last memory of tonight to be her friend almost calling him “daddy,” so she decides she needs to stick around a little longer.</p><p>“We also didn’t get to your brownies,” he reminds her, already lifting the wine bottle and emptying the contents between their glasses. “Though, they might not go so well with this wine.”</p><p>“Like I care about that.” She accepts her glass from him and follows him over to the couch.</p><p>“So, your friends are…”</p><p>“A handful, I know.” She takes a generous sip of her wine. “They’re not usually so bad.”</p><p>“You were supposed to go with them tonight?” He’s sitting with his body angled towards her, and she feels so comfortable with him that a part of her is telling her to lean in closer.  </p><p>“Kind of.” She looks down, fiddling with the hem of her dress. “I decided I didn’t really want to go. I’m just tired of going to those parties where I don’t fit in.” Her voice drops, coming out thin and shy. “It makes me feel really alone.”</p><p>He looks at her for a second, his expression gentle, and Rey suddenly feels infinitely embarrassed. “Rey-“</p><p>She lunges forward, grabbing a brownie off the plate. “Sorry if the brownies suck. I’m not too great at baking.”</p><p>“Rey.” His voice is just a little more firm, and she finally looks up, meeting his eyes. He looks like he’s about to say something serious, but then a gentle smirk plays at the side of his mouth. “You can always use me as an excuse to get out of parties. After all, your friends seem to think we’re dating.”</p><p>“I’m so sorry about that,” she rushes to say, truly wishing she didn’t have to. Of course she was embarrassed by everything her friends said, but it doesn’t change the fact that she really wishes this was a date.</p><p>“It’s really not a problem,” he says, reaching forward for a brownie. “And Rey?”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>His expression sobers, voice dropping again. “You’re not alone.”</p><p>She gives him a small, grateful smile. “Neither are you.”</p><p>“Also, these brownies kind of suck.”</p><p>She shoves him playfully, pleased that he hasn’t run away yet, even despite all the destruction her friends tried to inflict.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I swear, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but my friends are enablers. Also my 70's and 80's playlist is too damn good at making me think up dumb scenarios.<br/>Any song suggestions for future chapters? The only criteria is that it must be from the 70's or 80's.<br/>Thank you all so much for your support on this fic!</p><p>The world is crazy right now. Stay safe, stay informed, and do what you can to help. &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Call Me On the Line</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter was beta'd by my lovely best friend, but she was tipsy, so she probably can't be trusted. All she ever sends back are Pride and Prejudice gifs, but that's encouragement enough for me.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey never sleeps this well. Years of having an alarm clock that only worked half the time guaranteed that she's become a very light sleeper. Now, however, she can hear the sound of her phone receiving a deluge of text messages, but she can't really find it in her to care. She's too warm and comfortable to care. Usually, waking up warm in the dead of summer is a recipe for a bad morning, but she can feel the breeze from an air conditioner working overtime and it makes her cuddle closer to the warmth enveloping her.</p>
<p>There's a sleepy grunt from behind her and she feels the warmth on her hip move, suddenly realizing the source is, in fact, a hand. A rather large one at that. It grips her hip tighter, and it dawns on her that she’s still wearing her dress from the previous night. Cracking an eye open, she finds she's laying on Ben’s deep, expensive couch, meaning the person with their hand on her thigh can be none other than the man himself. </p>
<p>
  <em>It happened again. Why did it happen again? </em>
</p>
<p>She remembers brownies and wine and - <em>oh no</em> – she has a vague memory of drunkenly sprawling across him saying she was too sleepy to go back to her apartment. But then she also remembers feeling a hand stroking her hair while she drifted off and she can’t recall ever feeling something so comforting in her entire life. She thought that it felt like <em>home</em>, which is highly unusual since Rey has never had a home and has no basis for the feeling. Not in the emotional sense, at least.</p>
<p>Ben’s thumb grazes lazily across her hip while he sleeps, and an excited kind of heat blooms in Rey’s chest, breath hitching as she allows herself to scoot closer to the solid mass of man behind her.</p>
<p>
  <em>OK, drunk Rey, you win this round.</em>
</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>Drunk Ben needs to learn about boundaries. Surely, then he wouldn't keep finding himself entangled on a couch with the beautiful woman from downstairs. He also wouldn’t know how well she fits in his arms, or the soft feeling of her hair between his fingers. And he definitely wouldn't know how it feels to have his hand on her hi-</p>
<p><em>Shit</em>, his hand is on her hip. Not just resting on her hip, either. No, that would be easy to deal with. He somehow managed to slide his hand <em>under</em> the skirt of her dress and wrap his fingers firmly around the cruve of her body. <em>This is not good</em>. He needs to move it immediately, because he thinks he can feel lace beneath his fingertips, and if he thinks about that <em>at all</em> his dick is bound to react.</p>
<p>Maybe if he just slides his hand a little further down her leg… OK, maybe that was a mistake, because now she knows he's awake and he isn't sure he's prepared to deal with the situation yet.</p>
<p>But she is.</p>
<p>Suddenly, she’s stretching beside him – he can’t help but relish in how glorious it feels to have Rey pressed up against him – and sitting up, craning her neck to look at him. “Good morning,” she croons, not seeming the slightest bit uncomfortable that they’ve fallen asleep on the couch together twice now.</p>
<p>“Morning,” he croaks, throat impossibly dry.</p>
<p>“Well, at least your couch is more comfortable than mine,” she says, rubbing a kink out of her neck. “Sorry I fell asleep on you.” She turns away, putting a hand to her forehead and squinting her eyes with a groan.</p>
<p>He sits up, feeling the pain of his own hangover throbbing in his head. “Let me get you some aspirin.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine. You saw I have plenty at home.”</p>
<p>“You also have three hungover friends at home,” he points out.</p>
<p>“Shit, you’re right.”</p>
<p>He grabs a bottle from his medicine cabinet, taking a couple before returning to the couch and handing it to her along with a glass of water.</p>
<p>“Rather ironic that I so diligently took care of my drunk friends and<em> I</em> ended up with a hangover.” She shakes two pills onto her hand – cheerily commenting that they’re name brand – and downs them with a small sip of water. She sets the water down and picks up her phone, quickly scrolling through some messages with an amused grin. “It sounds like I have 3 pathetically hungover friends to deal with. I’m going to head down and start making pancakes for them.” She stands and then looks over her shoulder at him. “Do you want to join?”</p>
<p>She’s actually inviting him to join her and her friends. If nothing else it means she at least doesn’t hate him, and he’ll gladly accept that.</p>
<p>However, before he can reply she gets a contemplative look on her face, quickly followed by a frown. “Shit, I don’t even have all the ingredients.” She shrugs. “I guess it will have to be cereal and pop-tarts instead.”</p>
<p>“What do you need?”</p>
<p>“Eggs.”</p>
<p>“I’ve got a new carton in the fridge.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to-“ but he’s already heading for the kitchen, returning to her a moment later with a full carton of eggs. She gives him a bright smile which he knows he’ll never forget. “OK. Let’s go, then.”</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>“Last night’s clothes!” Poe’s voice ringing out is not the first thing Rey wants to hear upon opening her door, and yet there he is, Finn leaning groggily against him on the couch.</p>
<p>“Put a shirt on. We have company,” she scolds.</p>
<p>Poe eyes Ben as he walks in the door. “Might I reiterate my earlier statement?”</p>
<p>“Shut up, Poe,” Rose grumbles, dragging herself from the bedroom and towards Rey. “Rey, I feel like I did something embarrassing.”</p>
<p>Rey puts a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “We’ll talk later. Go sit down and I’ll bring you some coffee in a minute.”</p>
<p>Rose wraps her arms around Rey in a tight embrace. “You’re the best mom ever. Your future children are gonna be some lucky little bastards.”</p>
<p>“I just hope my children aren’t as chaotic as <em>some people</em>,” she says pointedly in the direction of the couch.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry,” Poe retorts as Rey turns the corner into the kitchen. “They will be. I promise to train them in the art of chaos.”</p>
<p>It’s not until she’s begun pulling all her supplies and ingredients out of the cabinets that she turns and realizes Ben has followed her into the kitchen. He holds out the carton of eggs which she accepts with a smile. “Thanks again for these.”</p>
<p>“Would you like some help in here?” He takes a sweeping look around the kitchen.</p>
<p>She almost says no, but then Poe is shouting about the TV not working, and she realizes she would much rather Ben be safely in the kitchen, with her, instead of out there at the mercy of her friends.</p>
<p>“That would be great, actually. If you want to grab my mixing bowl off the top shelf, I’ll be back in just a minute.”</p>
<p>After a few minutes of informing Poe he needs to grow up and learn how to use technology on his own – “yes, even when you’re hungover” – she finally returns to the kitchen to find Ben cracking eggs one-handed into the mixing bowl.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” he says, turning just enough to meet her eyes. “I figured the sooner they eat the better.”</p>
<p>Who the hell is this man? He’s sweet, he’s attractive, <em>and </em>he cooks. Not to mention the sheer <em>size</em> of him sets her mind reeling in directions it really shouldn’t.</p>
<p>She reaches up to grab the massive tin of Café Bustelo off the top of her fridge. “In that case, I’ll get the coffee started.”</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>She is standing <em>right next to him</em> at the stove, frying up bacon while he continues to make pancakes. It’s not exactly a two person job, and the space is rather cramped, but there’s no way in hell he would give it up.</p>
<p>Every once in a while her arm brushes his and she smiles up at him, and he’s sure he’s died and gone to heaven. The kind of heaven where even the first pancake is cooked perfectly. At least, that’s what Rey claimed when she kept leaning across him to steal bites of it off the plate beside him. He could swear she’s been purposely brushing past him with every movement. The kitchen may be small, but it isn’t so small that she can’t avoid touching him.</p>
<p>When she finishes with the bacon she grabs her coffee mug, sitting on the counter beside him, watching him flipping pancakes. It almost makes him nervous, the way her eyes follow his movements and she leans in closer with each new question she asks him. <em>Did he put extra vanilla in the batter? How does he like his coffee? Does he ever make pancakes for himself or just the girls he dates? </em></p>
<p>The wording of the last question jars him and he doesn’t even answer, quickly grabbing the spatula instead as if it’s of the utmost importance. “That’s the last one,” he announces, flipping the final pancake onto the top of a carefully made stack.</p>
<p>They set everything out on Rey’s small dining table and call the other three, who gush about how spoiled they are as they fill their plates and head back to the couch. Ben and Rey follow moments later, Rey insisting that Ben take the only seat left, a threadbare armchair. He reluctantly agrees, but feels better about the decision when she decides to take up residence on the overstuffed arm of said chair, balancing on it in a way that has her leg periodically brushing against his.</p>
<p>“I’m officially voting you into the group,” Poe announces through a mouthful of food, brandishing his fork at Ben. “These pancakes are way better than the one’s Rey makes.”</p>
<p>“Excuse me!” She gives an exaggerated scoff.</p>
<p>“It’s true, Rey,” Finn cuts in. “The bacon’s good, though.”</p>
<p>“But bacon is good no matter what.” She glares back at Ben, narrowing her eyes at him in mock intimidation. “I regret inviting you.”</p>
<p>He shrugs. “Sorry?”</p>
<p>“You will be.”</p>
<p>He highly doubts that.</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>“Thanks for everything,” she says once she and Ben are safely in the hallway. “I had a good time.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He scratches the back of his head in that nervous way she’s becoming accustomed to. “I did too. Your friends are-”</p>
<p>“Mental? Yeah, I know.”</p>
<p>He chuckles. “I was going to say ‘energetic,’ but yours works too.”</p>
<p>Silence stretches between them while she plays with the hem of the dress she still hasn’t changed out of, and he rocks back on his heels. Part of her is tempted to lean up on her toes and kiss his cheek, but her confidence is fleeting in the light of morning, so she just cocks her head and gives him a smile. “See you around?”</p>
<p>He nods as he turns in the direction of the stairs. “Yeah. See you around.”</p>
<p>Then he’s walking away and she’s stepping back into her apartment to be met by three pairs of imploring eyes.</p>
<p>“You fucked him,” Poe says the moment the door is closed.</p>
<p>“I did not!”</p>
<p>“Why?” He sounds extremely disappointed, and Rose gives her an equally sad expression.</p>
<p>Rey gives them a stern look. “Maybe because I had three drunk friends come in and embarrass me.” They turn sheepish at that. “And, anyway, it’s not like that. We’re just friends.”</p>
<p>Finn wraps an arm around Poe, leaning into him. “Leave her be,” he says. “He seems a bit too old anyway. And didn’t you say he was unemployed?”</p>
<p>Rey narrows her eyes at Finn, moving her gaze quickly between him and Poe. “You’re one to talk.”</p>
<p>“Yeah!” Poe exclaims. “What’s wrong with older men?”</p>
<p>As her friends bicker, Rey realizes she actually <em>doesn’t </em>know how old Ben is. He’s already had a successful career, but he doesn’t seem that much older than her. Not that his age matters to her, but maybe she should actually get to know him more.</p>
<p>Rose appears at her elbow, tugging the boys along. “I know you’ve got work later, dear. We’ll get out of your hair now.” She leans in closer. “And I’m so sorry about last night.”</p>
<p>Rey pats her on the shoulder. “It’s ok. It’ll make for a funny story later, right?”</p>
<p>It’s not until her friends are gone, and she’s blasting Blondie as she readies herself for work, that she realizes she still doesn’t even have Ben’s phone number. She decides that isn’t very neighborly of her.</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>When he leaves his apartment to grab lunch, Ben is pleasantly surprised to find a post-it stuck to his front door with a hastily scrolled phone number under the words <em>“Call Me.” </em>He can’t help but smirk, because it’s been just over an hour since he heard that song drifting out of Rey’s apartment, and it reminded him to ask for her number the next time he sees her.</p>
<p>It turns out she’s one step ahead of him. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Cafe Bustelo is the shit! I miss it (someone send me a can of it, please!). I really hope my sister never finds this fic, cause I think mentioning that coffee would be a dead giveaway as to who I am irl.<br/>I hope y'all are ready to watch the plot of this fic run away from me, cause it's becoming much more than I expected (as always). <br/>Thank you so much for reading! Your support means the world to me!<br/>Stay safe out there!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Isn’t There a White Knight Upon a Fiery Steed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please note the rating has gone up. I've changed it for the sake of future chapters. Not the current one. Sorry to disappoint.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“I need a hero</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I’m holding out for a hero till the end of the night”</em>
</p>
<p>Rey can barely make out the lyrics over the rain pounding the steel roof of the store, and she can’t help but think how fitting they are as the customer before her thrusts his credit card at her for the fifth time.</p>
<p>“Look,” he growls, shoving his cellphone screen in her face. “That’s the credit I have available.”</p>
<p>She keeps her gaze fixed on his face, not even sparing the screen a passing glance.</p>
<p>“Sir, I do not doubt you have the credit available, but unfortunately it doesn’t change the fact that your card is not reading on my register.”</p>
<p>He’s practically shaking with rage now, and Rey really hopes someone walks by soon, because she’s familiar with the actions of violent customers, and this man is coming close to ticking all the boxes.</p>
<p>“You did something wrong. Just run it again.”</p>
<p>“With all due respect, sir, I think the problem lies in the state of your card.” She gestures to the magnetic strip which is faded and scratched with use.</p>
<p>“Then type in the card number,” he says through gritted teeth.</p>
<p>It’s never been so difficult to keep her voice level before. “As I explained before, my system will not allow me to do so.” By this point it’s taking significant effort not to bite this man’s head off. Why does he need the damn Bluetooth speaker that bad anyway?</p>
<p>“You really think you’re cute, don’t you? With that accent and attitude. Well, I don’t have to take this shit from a little seven-dollar-an-hour <em>nothing</em>.” She should know better than to let a customer’s words get to her, but it stings nonetheless.</p>
<p>“Hey!” A booming voice rings out from somewhere behind Rey, sharp and slick with venom. “She already said she can’t help you. Go be a dick somewhere else.”</p>
<p>Rey’s brow furrows in the most intense combination of shock and confusion she’s ever experienced, because Ben is standing there, seething with anger and holding himself in a way that somehow makes him look even more impossibly tall than he already is.</p>
<p>The customer looks up at Ben and something almost imperceptible changes in his demeanor and then he’s walking away, looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?”</p>
<p>Rey looks up at him, watching his shoulders relax as he once more becomes the Ben she knows. Or, at least, the Ben she’s trying to get to know.</p>
<p>“Yeah. I’m… I’m fine. What are you doing here?” She tries her best to shake off her flustered expression.</p>
<p>He holds up a handbasket containing a few toiletries and food items. “Thought I could grab everything before the storm.” He shrugs. “Apparently, I was being overconfident.” The rain has picked up and he’s speaking louder so she can hear him over it.</p>
<p>She’s feeling a bit listless, the whole encounter with the customer having really taken it out of her, so she gives him a half-hearted nod in reply.</p>
<p>“When does your shift end?”</p>
<p>“Ummm.” She looks at the clock on her register, realizing she hasn’t cleared the transaction yet. “About ten minutes.”</p>
<p>“Do you need a ride?”</p>
<p>“Oh! You don’t ha-“ a clap of thunder sounds, followed quickly by a flash of lightning, and he gives her a stern look. “Yes. A ride would be nice, thank you very much.”</p>
<p>“Ok. I’ll let you wrap up and I’ll be waiting for you out front.”</p>
<p>When she clocks out and exits the front doors of the building she expects to see Ben standing there waiting,  but is startled when, instead, a sleek, black car pulls up to where she’s standing, the passenger side window rolling down a moment later.</p>
<p>“You getting in?” Ben calls, leaning across and pushing the door open towards her.</p>
<p>She sprints over to the vehicle, sliding in as quickly as she can, nearly elbowing him in the process.</p>
<p>“Thanks for this,” she says, wiping rain from her forehead. “I don’t know if my umbrella would cut it today.”</p>
<p>“No problem. I’m glad I made the stupid decision to shop before a storm.”</p>
<p>She chuckles and they fall into silence as they pull out of the parking lot.</p>
<p>Watching the rain sliding down the window, car tires periodically causing a puddle to spray upwards in a large arc, she can’t help but hear the customers words replaying in her head. <em>Seven-dollar-an-hour nothing. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Nothing.</em>
</p>
<p>She knows it shouldn’t hurt, but it does. To have a customer – a stranger – so easily see the truth about her.</p>
<p>
  <em>Nothing.</em>
</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>In the short time it takes to reach their building, Rey becomes extremely quiet, mood more sullen than Ben has ever seen.</p>
<p>As they make their way up the stairs he asks if anything is wrong, but she just shrugs him off, saying she’s fine. By the time they make it to her door he’s becoming worried.</p>
<p>He really doesn’t want to leave her in such a state, but she’s still stubbornly refusing to say anything is wrong. Besides, it isn’t his place to stay. She didn’t ask him to, and he isn’t going to force his way in, so he bids her goodnight and heads to his apartment.  </p>
<p>Not half an hour later he hears a loud thump followed by swearing coming from somewhere below his feet.</p>
<p>He’s knocking on her door moments later and calling her name.</p>
<p>“It’s open,” she shouts back, voice venomous.</p>
<p>He can’t get the door open all the way. It’s stopped by something heavy and solid on the other side, so he’s forced to slip sideways into the apartment. When he does finally make it inside – after an uncomfortable run-in with the doorknob – he discovers the culprit. Rey’s armchair is sitting in front of the door, while her couch sits caddy corner across from it.</p>
<p>He takes a sweeping glance around the room. “What the fuck happened in here?”</p>
<p>“I’m redecorating,” she grumbles, not even looking at him as she hauls a stack of books across the room, depositing them soundly on the floor.</p>
<p>“It’s after eleven.”</p>
<p>“No time like the present.”</p>
<p>There's a biting sarcasm in her voice that jars him. She is clearly not alright.</p>
<p>He carefully makes his way to her, feeling like a newborn deer as he steps awkwardly around strewn furniture and stacks of items.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he says softly, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Stop, just for a minute.”</p>
<p>“Can’t. Have to finish this.”</p>
<p>“You will. Just take a second.” She finally stills, looking up at him with hollow eyes. “What’s going on?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t like my apartment anymore and… I just needed to do <em>something</em>.” Her voice strains and cracks on the last word and it almost breaks him. He realizes this isn’t something that can be waved away. She has to work through her frustration.</p>
<p>“Alright,” he says resolutely. “Let’s rearrange your apartment. But-“ he looks around until he finds her phone on the couch and hands it to her. “First we need music.”</p>
<p>She unlocks her phone and stares at the screen for a moment. “I don’t know, Ben. I don’t think I really feel like it.”</p>
<p>“Come on.” He takes the phone from her, opening up Spotify. “What were you listening to before?” He spots her recently played and hits the first thing he sees, quickly changing the source to the Bluetooth speakers he leant her. Thankfully, she hadn’t moved those yet, and soon the apartment is filled with the sounds of the <em>Bee Gees</em>. Not his first choice, but she seems to perk up a little bit, and that’s all that matters.</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>Ben helps her rearrange her entire living area, all while disco music plays around them. She doesn’t know what possessed him to help her, but she’s happy to have a friend around. She’s happy to have <em>him </em>around. Had work gone differently she might be tempted to say it’s been a perfect day.</p>
<p>By the time her playlist hits some <em>Earth, Wind &amp; Fire</em> she’s feeling lighter and let’s herself enjoy the moment a little more. She’s swinging her hips to <em>Boogie Wonderland</em> as she shelves some books when she catches his eye. He’s watching her with an amused look as he sorts through a stack of her old junk mail (because he’s certain she mixed important mail in with it, and he’s completely right), and suddenly she’s struck by the domesticity of it all.</p>
<p>Is it ok to be domestic with your “just a friend” who lives upstairs? The “just a friend” who you find yourself more attracted to with each passing moment? Maybe not, but she isn’t going to complain.</p>
<p>She sets the stack of books down beside the shelf and turns towards him with a smile. “Thank you for helping.”</p>
<p>“It was no problem. I-uh-” he scratches the back of his head nervously. “I felt bad leaving you earlier. You seemed like you could use some company.”</p>
<p>She looks down, kicking her toes against a stack of magazines on the floor, nodding her head. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Do you want to talk about it?”</p>
<p>She hesitates. “I don’t know. It’s just…” She looks around the room. “Ugh, my apartment is a fucking mess now.” Just like that the frustration hits her again.</p>
<p>“I think you need a break from all of this.” He gestures around at the mess.</p>
<p>She puts her head in her hands. Maybe he’s right. Maybe a break would help. “Yeah. Alright.”</p>
<p>“How about some tea?”</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>He hands her a cup of chamomile tea, watching as she takes a sip and curls into herself. “Sorry I’m being so dramatic today,” she says.</p>
<p>He shrugs. “You had a shit day. It happens.” She’s quiet, looking listlessly into her tea. “You never told me what made you so angry.” She heaves a sigh and he quickly adds, “Not that you need to tell me. It’s up to you.”</p>
<p>“I let it get to me… what that customer said. I know I shouldn’t, but it just stung, you know?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t actually hear what he said, but I’m sure it was unwarranted and wrong. He was a dick.”</p>
<p>“He was, but he was still right. He… He called me “nothing.” And, well… he’s right.”</p>
<p>“What the hell makes you think he’s right?” he almost growls. He’s angry. Angrier than he’s been since he quit his job. He wishes he had done more than yell at the jackass. He wishes he had shoved a fist in the bastard’s face, told him exactly where he could go, and then sent him halfway there.</p>
<p>Rey sinks further into the couch cushions, guarding herself, and he immediately regrets letting his temper slip. She takes a sip of her tea before answering, voice thin in the, now quiet, night air. “I’m a nobody. Just an orphan who never knew my family, and was assigned a random last name by the system. I’ll never make enough money to go to college, so I’ll be stuck working retail my whole life. I have no past and no future.” She continues to stare down into her tea, and he can see her trying to will away the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “I’m nothing.”</p>
<p>“Not to me.”</p>
<p>She blinks up at him, an errant tear running down her cheek. “What?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think you’re nothing, Rey.” He takes a deep breath as she stares at him, the slightest glimmer of hope in her eyes. If he could, he would tell her that she’s the furthest thing from <em>nothing</em> he’s ever met. That, to him, she’s becoming <em>everything</em>. She isn’t just his neighbor anymore. She’s his friend. More than that, she’s the woman he finds himself falling for more and more every day. But he can’t say any of that, because it isn’t what she needs right now. She deserves him there as a friend and nothing more.</p>
<p>She’s still watching him expectantly, so he pushes all of his feelings away to tell her what she needs to hear. “I’ve never met anyone so willing to help others.” He turns his tone lighter, hoping to ease the tension. “You remember the first night we met? I was a complete jackass, but you still helped me.” A tentative smile eases onto her face at the memory. “Everyone in this building adores you because you go out of your way to be kind to them. When I met them, your friends wouldn’t shut up about how much they appreciate you. How could someone who means so much to so many people be “nothing?’”</p>
<p>The tears are streaming down her face in earnest now, but they aren’t from sadness, and he reaches out to brush one away.</p>
<p>She looks up at him, eyes glimmering. “What do I mean to <em>you</em>?”</p>
<p>His heart leaps into his throat, the answer on the tip of his tongue before he reminds himself that she needs a friend right now. <em>Just </em>a friend. So he takes a deep breath, telling her the only part of his answer he’s able, for the time being. “You’re my first real friend.”</p>
<p>She beams.</p>
<p>~~</p>
<p>Once they’ve put all her furniture into place, and her floor is free of tripping hazards, Rey walks Ben to the door.</p>
<p>His words are still replaying in her head, helping her forget what the customer said and the way her mind contorted it.</p>
<p>It’s true she had been hoping for something more, but being considered his first real friend feels… special. She’s glad to be his friend. Truly, she is.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she says, leaning up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, thinking to herself that it’s a friendly gesture, nothing more. “For everything. I really appreciate it.”</p>
<p>He runs a hand nervously through his hair. “Any time. I don’t care if it’s four in the morning, I’ll still help you move furniture. Or anything, really. I mean it… you-you just have to ask.” Despite his babbling, there’s a softness in his eyes that makes her feel suddenly shy under his gaze.</p>
<p>She smiles, unable to keep eye contact with him. “Goodnight, Ben.”</p>
<p>He leans forward and her breath catches when she feels his lips press a soft kiss against her forehead. “Goodnight, Rey,” he says quietly.</p>
<p>Then he’s walking away and she’s standing there in her open doorway, too dazed to move.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Writing my retail horror stories is unbelievably cathartic.<br/>The evil customer in this chapter is a combination of 2 customers I dealt with during my time at Wal-Mart. The credit card guy wasn’t super terrible in the end, and his (very embarrassed) son apologized for the whole ordeal. However, the “seven-dollar-an-hour-nothing” quote is straight from the mouth of my most entitled customer ever. She said those words and I shouted, “I make a hell of a lot more than that,” and stalked into the backroom while a manager dealt with her. That was an unprofessional show of my temper. Don’t be like me, kids. Be like Rey and keep a level tone.<br/>Thanks so much for reading! I've been working on chapter 5 and it's my favorite so far. I'm so excited to get it out for you all to read!<br/>I appreciate all your love and support on this silly little fic more than I can say!<br/>Stay safe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>